9 passengers killed, 18 injured in Kandahar bombing

KANDAHAR (Pajhwok): At least nine passengers were killed and 18 more injured when their vehicle struck a roadside bomb in Khakrez district of southern Kandahar province on Monday, an official said.

The incident took place in Darzab area of the district at about 2pm involving a Mazda type vehicle, Kandahar Governor Hayatullah Hayat told Pajhwok Afghan News.

He said nine people had been killed and 18 others wounded in the blast. The dead and wounded were first evacuated to the district clinic before being sent to Kandahar City.

The governor accused the Taliban of planting the hidden bomb, saying targeting civilians was against international laws.

However, the Taliban have so far said nothing in this regard.

A doctor on duty at the civil hospital in Kandahar City said a number of the wounded people were in critical condition.

President Ashraf Ghani strongly condemned the incident and called it a terrorist and inhuman act. A statement from the Presidential Palace quoted Ghani as saying that emplacing landmines on public routes and targeting public welfare installations was considered war crime.